Combined lamp and phototube



May 8, 1934. F. M. PENNING 1,958,066

COMBINED LAMP AND. YHOTOTUBE Original Filgd se t.'4, 19 28 77am M P nning I I 6, MW 4% fi Patented sil s, ess

4 essees siege o e-else v lessees I commerce teem Arte moiro'rcss Feces Michel Forming; Elmlhovem, Netlierlcnfis, societies, lay messie assignments, to General .Electric QQFIAZGZEW? e commotion cl New-York llgolollcatlon sees-sister c, lees, Serial No; tosses. ltesiewecl Qeytemter- 23, 1938, is the Nettles locals lilies-elm 119% e closes. (cl. etc-sis! This invention relates to on improved process of influencing on electric current by messes of radiation. I

Devices for converting optical phenomena into 5 electric phenomena are frequently usecl in the art. As such devices, we may mention, for example, selenium and other photoelectric cells.'

they are oi great importance in connection with the menviocture of so-csllesl speaking time, for tlle transmission of imeges by telegraphic or rocliotelegrecllic agency etc. A prime condition of such devices is generally that the conversion of light verlotions into electric plienomenc should be efiecterl with is minimum or inertie.

In the process cccorelins tothe invention the current or the voltage in on electric circuit is influenced by means of radiation in tliot this radiation strilsescn electric discharge tulle its cluded in the said circuit. This discllsrge tube contains c supply of ass or vapour (rosin cos) the atoms of which can be in metastable conditions. This gas or vapour has added to it e smell supply of some other gets the atoms of which can be ionized. loy metastable stories of the maize. gas.

The dischorgetuloe may, for example, loo fillec with neon which has cooled to it a. smell supply, soy 6 .001921, oi argon.

The process according to the invention goermlts or obtaining particularly good results it the realis tion is effected by light of such e wave length that it can be absorbed by the gas stems lei e metastable state.

for example, ll the tuloe possesses the zeseous filling mentlozleol here by wcy oi example,

radiation.

The influence oi the light rays on the electric circuit in the process according to the invention is rel-steel with metastable conditions oi. the main gcsuseol in the elisclisrge tufce. The oilsis partially estelzilislled in tl'lelt atoms which are in a metastable state lonlze atoms of the gels present as the admixture. Now, if stems of the main gas which are in a. metastable state ere struck by light of it given wave length they are transferred from this state more or less great numbers into s non-metcsteble stste of higher energy. In this state the life of these atoms is so short that the probability of c collision with an atom of the admixture is extremely smell. Consequently the ionization in the tube decreases ct once and correspondingly the oilsclisrge current. in the some msnnerlt is com prehensllole that as a result oi reclistioc the tileneon light can be used with advantage for time the time e and theletter begins to give off light charge vcltcge of c discharge tube possessing the above mentioned gas misturels increeeed. As the extent to which the current is decreased or the cliscliersevoltese respectively is incressed elepends on the nature oi the light vsrlctions, the current or the voltage variations respectively efiorti someone to reglstrste the said llglit vcria tions or to reproduce them elsewhere. llereim alter o process according to the invention will be more fully exploined, out only by way of ex-= cmole, reference being lied to the accompanying drawing, i

In the said drawing l designates an electric. clschcrge tube which is filled with smein gas, for exsmple neon, under is pressure of some centimeters of mercury one additional arson. A very low percentage, say 6.691%, of this second cos con sufice. Gases other than those mentioned moy be used provided the main gas has the characteristic that its stems con be in a -mctcstelile state and in this state can ionize stems of the e ixtur e, for example in that the excitation potentisl oi. such it metastable state is higher then the ionization potential of the admixture. A suficiently high voltage is supplied. between. the electrodes of the tube 1 vie s, reslstcnce 3 by means of a. battery 2 "or some suitable source oi current. Under thelr1= fiuence of this voltage atoms of the main gas are transferred into a metastable state, sold stems ionising iii that stete atoms of the edmixture. Thus o reel-ole discharge current of some micro emperes passes through the tube. The potential difierence which then prevails lootween electrodes is measured or registered by moons of some sensitive iilstruxment, for example an electrostatic voltmeter 1 which is com nested, ll necessary in serieswitl'l e, resistance 5, between the electrodes of the'tuloe. A helicslly wound neon light tube s surrounds the tlisclicrge tut-e 1. This luminous tube is supplied, for example from s rectifier 7 end comprises on i:c candescent cotlzocle 8 and a, cold enoole 9. Now, if the switch 10 is closed a current pesses'tlircugh lilo which affects the discharge in the time 3.. Iiideecl, in this tube a number of atoms oi the main gas which are in a metastable state, are transferred by reason of the recitation by the light of the tube 6 into a non-metastable state of highor energy, in which they remain for such a short time that there is but very little probability of collisions with an atom oi the admixture. Thus the ionization decreases and correspondingly the discharge current in tube-l, which is incidental 11c radiated by the tube 6 that part of the wave-' length spectrum is greatly represented that can be absorbed by a metastable state. For this reason neon light can be used with advantage if the discharge tube 1 contains neon as the main gas.

."it is obvious that only the value and not the direction of the current in the luminous tube e influences the action of the tube 1 so that the process also affords a means of making intensity variations of an alternating current in the circuit in which the light emitting tuhe dis inserted manfest by variations of the direct current in the circuit in which the light receiving tube 1 is included. For this purpose the tube 6 which in this case may possess, if desired, two filament electrodes, may be supplied by means of an alternating current on which the variations to be observed are superimposed.

intense I What 3 cl h: Y

i. A light sensitive unit comprising an envelope housing spaced electrodes, and a. gas comprising neon to which has been added .001% of argon, and a helically wound light radiator SUI! rounding said envelope and comprising a tube having spaced elects-odes, one of which is of the double terminal incandescible type, and having neon filling said tube, whereby said tube may emit radiations of wave length which can be absorbed by the gas atoms in s. metastable state in said envelope to decrease ionization in said envelope, V

2. A light sensitive unit comprising an enveiope housing spaced electrodes, and a gas comprising neon to which has been added .eo1% of argon, and a iight radiator surrounding said en= velope and corising a tube having spaced electrodes, one of which is of the thermionic type and having neon filling said tube, whereby said tube may t radiations of wave length which can he absorbed by the gas atoms in a metastable state in said envelope to decrease ionization in said envelope.

FRANS MIC PENNING.

its 

